Sora Sohma
by cherrybambina
Summary: The fox of the curse, the 14th animal, cursed like other's but even less known than the cat. Tales say that unlike the poor deceived cat the fox did make it to the banquet, trotting along with the others joyfully. However as God was declaring the zodiac the adventurous animal became distracted, wandering off and thus as punishment by God never made it onto the zodiac.
1. Mother's love

Mari brushed her wavy brown hair behind her ear, staring out the window which looked out into the dark alleyway illuminated by the full moon above. Resting a hand on her stomach the young woman smiled, 8 months pregnant and she was barely showing but nonetheless there was still a child inside her. A healthy and beautiful baby. Excitement swirled in her stomach along with a slight pain as she felt the baby kick its strong little legs against her womb. Even before the moment Mari found out about her pregnancy she already knew the type of mother she would be; supportive and hardworking with a never-ending love for her child. The type that would always provide the best life it could possibly have, even if that started with a nursery in the living room of a rundown one-bedroom apartment.

Hazel eyes wandered around the small room, this would have to do for now, the money just wasn't there to upgrade. It wasn't like she couldn't ask her father; he would give it to her in a heartbeat. But the elderly man was still mourning the death of her mother and Mari didn't even have it in her to tell him of the pregnancy with Ronin's child knowing how he disproved of her being involved with the man in the first place, never mind ask for money.

Speak of the devil. The sound of the door handle caused Mari's eyes to shoot towards the clock, it was 4 am already. Where had the time gone? Icy blue eyes met with her hazel ones, a confused look gracing the male's sharp features.

"My love, what are you still doing up?"

The woman in Mari's family has always had bad luck with lovers; it was almost as if they were cursed as her grandmother liked to joke about. However her mother struck gold when she met Mari's father, not that she didn't have her fair share of pricks before him but albeit it was worth it putting up with them if she could spend the rest of her life with him. And she had, up until her heart attack at the age of 56. Mari's father was a kind soul, always doing his best to help others but stubborn and crafty as hell. Take the day they met for example. It was in a dingy little the bar, he hadn't really gone there to meet anyone, just wanted to clear his head. When in walked this annoyingly arrogant man who strutted around as if he owned the place, bossed the bartender around like a maid and treated the woman at his side like eye candy. It wasn't long before Mari's father decided to put this man on his knees, besting him at his own game through sheer wit and stealing his eye candy in the process. Despite being 12 years apart Mari's father and mother fell in love quickly, the whole time never having one fight.

The woman desperately wished she could have asked her mother what their secret was, how they always seemed so happy and put together. It wasn't as if she and Ronin weren't happy, Mari couldn't imagine having a child with anyone else or spending her life in anyone else's arms. She just didn't think they could ever reach the euphoria her parents had; their relationship was just too out of balance. The love they shared was built on a foundation of dependence and one night stands, the pure need for another warm body in the midst of crushing loneliness caused by another.

Shrugging Mari pushed herself away from the windowsill and walked towards her fiancé, standing on her tiptoes the woman kissed his lips softly with her own. "Our little one likes being active at this time it seems." Taking his hand she placed it on her slightly rounded stomach. "Baby kicks. How was your night?"

* * *

The loss of a fellow zodiac and a very loved family member, it was something which hit the Sohma's hard. As if a dark cloud took residence above only the estate, with hail and rain soaking the family in sorrow whilst the rest of the world continued on, basking in the warm sunlight unbeknownst to their pain.

Mari sat in front of a tall white-haired male, head of the family and god of the zodiac although that was something she was unaware of. "Died in his sleep.."

The cause of death was simply old age but the reason was clear to her. It was the heartbreak of losing her mom. Placing her face in her palms of her hands the 20 something swallowed the lump in her throat. "I just wish mom and dad could have met their grandchild at least once."

Taking her hand in his the male stared into the hazel eyes of the woman he had always seen as his naïve little sister.

"Mari, why didn't you tell us? Or tell your father at least... We could have helped you, we're your family."

The woman's blonde waves bounced as she shook her head, a sad smile gracing her features.

"Dad was still morning mom; he didn't even like Ronin in the first place. It wasn't like I was planning to keep it a secret from him forever; I just needed a perfect time. And you...you have Ren, and your own child to take care of. I don't need help either, me and Ronin...we're doing good and I'm happy."

* * *

A few weeks passed since the death of her father, Mari had stayed at the estate to take care of funeral plans and to sort out her father's home. It was a small place, the home she grew up in, situated close to the gates in its own little square. Her father was a bit of a hoarder, collecting every little thing he found that captured his attention. He owned many interesting trinkets but it made the house a nightmare to organize.

The upcoming birth of a new zodiac member was similar to that of an upcoming birth of their god, just less intense. It was hard to explain, it's not like it came with any telltale signs. They all simply just knew.

"Which one do you think it is?" The light grey-haired boy walked along with his 2 friends as they made their way home from school, shoulder-length hair bobbing with each step.

"Which what?" Asked the tallest one, turning towards his friend with a blank expression.

"The zodiac animal of course. Right, Ayame? " Answered the shaggy black-haired boy.

The golden-eyed boy ran a hand through his sleek hair. Lost in thought. "That's right! I personally think it might be the rat but there's so many options lately, all the old Zodiacs are dying off."

"That's not a nice way to put it Ayame."

"He's right though, it's as if a new generation is in the midst. " Shigure nodded, placing the hand that wasn't carrying his books under his chin. "The cat would make things around here more interesting."

Hatori stopped, blue orbs settling on a little house beside the gate, eyeing the woman sweeping on the porch. "The fox."

"Ehhh?" Both his friends turned to him in surprise. The snake was the first to continue. "All the possibilities and you pick the one that's barely talked about?"

"No, I didn't mean that. Look" He pointed towards the young woman with a broom in her hand. "Isn't that his daughter? She's pregnant."

" So, she's going to have the next animal." Ayame nodded in understanding.

"She's pretty." The dog smiled.

"Shigure.." Hatori couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friends nonsense.


	2. A baby fox

Authors note: Hopefully you guys like this type of writing format, I was and still at a little bit of a loss how to format Sora's past into the actual story. Like it's important for showing her relationships with the other characters and explaining how it shaped her to be the type of person she is now but I don't want it to take over the whole story. It still might be the main focus in these first couple chapters but i'll try my best to blend it smoothly into the current time.

Songs I was listening to well I wrote a lot of this chapter: The bones- Maren Morris. Mothers daughter- Miley cyrus. Dangerous Night- 30 seconds to MArs.

* * *

Dark eyes glazed over the melancholy man who was perched over his daughter's crib, talking softly to the nearly asleep toddler. Probably telling her about how the zodiac curse came to be again, it was never-ending with him and that damn story. Leaning against the door frame Ren scowled darkly. How dare his own wife to have to wait to get even an ounce of attention, especially after she made tea and everything. What made that kid so important?

"When are you going to tell that woman?" With her patience worn down Ren interrupted their precious little story, placing the tea she made on a bed side table beside him.

Standing up Akira placed a kiss on his beautiful daughter's forehead, saying one last goodnight to her. Picking up his tea he made his way over to his wife, leading her out of the room with him and sliding the door shut.

"It takes time dear. She just lost her father, heavy news such as this would not be a good idea to bring up whilst she's still grieving." The God spoke low as they made their way down the hallway of the Honke, keeping their conversation away from prying ears.

The lithe woman's stomach burned with jealousy of the way he talked about that woman. Ren never liked the bitch. Although others were blind to it the way she lead her husband on, secretly trying to steal him away was obvious to the current God's wife. The brotherly friendship, the foxes daughter played it well but it was just an act. No, that woman schemed, and she schemed well.

Snorting loudly Ren turned into the large master bedroom, turning to her husband as he closed the door behind them. "As if that whore cared about her father, she didn't even bother telling him of his own daughter's pregnancy, she's just worried about what little she can scavenge for in the inheritance."

Sighing softly Akira ignored his wife's jealous tone and vicious words. "Even so, there are others whom are expecting as well, we can't be sure she's the one who's going to have the next zodiac. It's best we cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

Mari went into labor 2 months before her baby's due date, a telltale sign of a zodiac child.

Akira had convinced her to stay at the main house and give birth to the child under their family doctors supervision. Ronin had temporarily moved in with his soon to wife in her late father's home, It made things quite a bit easier for the two of them to finish sorting through his things.

The curse of the fox came as a surprise to everyone; nobody thought it had enough time to develop given it had been only 2 months since the last fox passed away. Most were expecting it to be one of the other pregnant Sohma family members who held the next cursed child or at the very least another zodiac animal developing inside Mari.

Nonetheless, this was all proven wrong once the child met the coldness of the outside world, her tiny body not being able to handle the shock of it all causing her to transform.

Sora Sohma; a tiny baby girl who came out giggling and cooing rather than crying, as if telling everyone in the room of her journey to the outside world quickly was replaced by that of a tiny reddish-blonde fox kit. Obviously, her parents were horrified by what had happened, speechless and gasping for air in worry that their child would be a fox forever, never mind how such a thing was actually possible. Nonetheless minutes later she transformed back to the human she was supposed to be, looking curiously between her hyperventilating parents and a very tired doctor whom was trying desperately to calm them down.

Akira took over telling little Sora's parents of the curse. From the beginning to the end they were silent, Mari looking distraught while her beloved's face held no emotions at all.

Ronin was the first to stand up, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "This is complete fucking bullshit, curses, and people that turn into animals naturally? That shit doesn't exist yet you people think this is normal? You all need help, from professionals, doctors or a team of scientists. You think I'm going to stand by and let this freak of nature family coerce my fiancé and daughter into their…their cult?"

"Get up Mari, let's go." Grasping a hand around his fiancé's forearm the tall male attempted to pull her up, being careful not to hurt the delicate newborn in her arms. It was still his child after all.

When she made no room to move he pulled a little harder, more desperate. "I said let's go!"

Now with the raised voices the newborn started to cry, a piercing sound that echoed through the room. If the yelling hadn't already reached the ears of the people inside the Honke the baby screaming at the top of her lungs definitely would have. Akira stood, eyeing the angered male cautiously.

"I understand how hard this must be for you but you need to calm down." Icy eyes glared into his dark grey ones. If looks could kill…

"Ronin stop... Please" The barely audible voice broke through the tension and piercing crying. Tears in Mari's hazel eyes finally began to pool over the edges, smearing her brown eyeliner and causing her mascara to trail down her pale skin. The slim woman paid no mind to that though, instead, she cuddled her child close, rocking her back and forth with her body.

Ronin stared down at his fiancé, marveling in her never-ending beauty. Even with black shit running down her cheeks she was a sight to behold, cuddling her child oh so protectively. She made a wonderful mother, truly. She didn't deserve this family, their deceit and secrets, she was too good for that. God, he hated these fucking people. Ronin couldn't stop his temper from flaring up even if wanted to.

"Are you choosing them over me?! The one who's been there for you through everything?! How can you be so forgiving of these people?! Seriously!?"

"They're my family! What do you want me to do?! They've been dealing with this for decades, they should know what to do by now at least! Do you think having scientists poke and prod at my child is the solution?! Ronin please, think logically! If this got out if the government..or the media became aware what do you think they'd do?"

Holding the baby even closer she placed Sora's head against her neck, closing her makeup covered eyes. Sobs escaped her parted lips, racking her whole ribcage in aching pain. "Do you think we.." Hiccup. "could handle the cons.." Sob. "..equences? We'd be ruined."

Icy blue eyes narrowed, trying to find fault in her terrified words. Unable to yell at his beloved in such a state he ran his hand through his hair once more. "Fine Mari, do what you think is necessary." Ronin spoke the last word as if it was venom leaving his lips. He needed to get out this suffocating room, away from the pain he had caused the mother of his child. Slamming the sliding door behind him as he exited the room, in search of the closest bottle of Sake to burry this night behind him.

3 sets of eyes watched the male on a warpath as he left the doctors room. Ronin could feel particular set burning holes in the back of his skull, turning only slightly he was able to catch calculating grey eyes. They belonged to that of a long-haired man, one he had never seen before leaning against a nearby wall to the room he had come from. Ronin could only guess the man must have been some sort of security guard, obviously strong with muscles showing even through the robes his Yukata and a katana at his side. Ronin was confrontational and a good fighter but he was also smart, smart enough to know that if he started a fight with this person in his current state things would more than likely end badly for him. The best-case scenario was him being thrown out the front gates of this prison they call an estate, not that he would mind that if he wasn't so aware of the fact Mari and their child wouldn't be with him.

Logic winning against anger Ronin continued on his path to the small house by the gate.

On the other end of the hallway 2 boys stood, curling around the wall enough to just see him as he walked away. Ever the nosy ones Shigure and Ayame always seemed to be where the action was. They tried to get Hatori to join of course but the dragon would have none of it, scolding his friends for spying on something that wasn't any of their business.

"So Hatori was right.." The snake of the zodiac whispered to his friend.

"Seems so.." The dog whispered back. Stern grey eyes of the dojo Sensai caught the black-haired boys own dark orbs. "We better go.."

Catching on quickly Ayame was the first to move, not wanting to risk a scolding. Shigure lingered for a moment though, only turning to leave once his friend tugged gently on his arm.

Inside the room Mari was still sobbing, a brotherly Akira wrapping his arms around the small woman, patting her head with his other hand. "Shhh, everything will be alright. He'll come around; it's always hard with parents when they find out, some more than others. I'm sure with time and some coasting he'll come to accept this."

"How did…" Sob. "dad.."Another, much more sorrow-filled sob left her gut "Handle this?"

Combing through Mari's wavy locks the God sighed. "Being a zodiac already your father knew what to expect when it came to his child. He had come to terms with the fact he could never hug his child if she was a girl. Instead, he found different ways to give you the best life he could. But he never wanted you to have to go through such a thing, none of us did. That's why your mother and him never told you, they hoped you'd never find out about the dirty secret this family held."

Somehow through her fuzzy screwed up mind, it all made sense to Mari. She couldn't remember a time where her father held her, mother instead took on that role. But he was still the best dad she could have asked for, doting on her with gifts, teaching her how to fish and play sports, helping her with all of her homework and there was never a moment he put anything above his child or his wife.

Standing up Akira held out his hands for the now sleeping little one in Mari's shaking arms. "May I?."

Looking down at her daughter she couldn't help but think how doll-like her little girl looked, eventually giving the infant over to the older male.

"She's truly a sight to behold isn't she? A spitting image of you."

Being friends for as long as they have Mari knew this was just his way of trying to make her feel better but still felt a flash of pride swell in her tired heart. "Thank you." The new mother sniffled out softly.

Placing the peaceful baby in the clean white crib Akira covered her with a light blue blanket. He had never seen such an easy-going newborn in his life, especially one that could fall asleep so quickly after being disturbed. Turning towards his childhood friend he handed her a tissue box and a wet cloth to clean off her face.

"Am I that much of a mess?" Mari said, wiping down her makeup stained face.

"Yes, I don't think I've seen you look worse." Akira didn't have much experience in joking around. "Honestly though, how are you feeling?"

Mari gave a pretend scowl. "Aren't you supposed to laugh when you tell a joke? And I'm really just tired. I'd kill for some rest but I'm scared."

The pale-haired god nodded in understanding, gently lifting the girl up and guiding her to the soft bed beside the cradle. "You need rest. I'll…" As he was about to speak a soft cough caught his words in his throat. This was Kazuma's signal for when Ren was coming.

"I need to take care of some things however Kazuma will be right outside if Sora so much as shifts he'll hear it. She's safe, trust me. I'll come and check on you two after alright?"

"It's fine, You've done so much already Akira. Spend some time with your wife and son and don't worry about us, I'll see you tomorrow." Mari swallowed the lump building in her throat slightly nervous knowing of the male outside. Had he heard the fighting? The crying?

"Are you sure?"

Loud fake snores answered his question. Always so childish. Giving one last look to both mother and daughter Akira exited the room, speaking quietly to the man.

"Keep watch of her please Kazuma, especially if her Fiancé returns." The long-haired male gave a knowing nod, eyes drifting behind the god and onto his wife.

"You missed dinner and your Son is looking for you." Ren said, lips sneering towards the door he had just come out of, knowing all too well who was inside of it.

Placing a kiss on his raven-haired beauty's lips he moved them to her forehead, kissing her temple. "Work truly never ends for the head of the Sohma household. I missed you my love."

Ren never could resist her husband, she adored that man with every depth of her soul; it's what made her so possessive knowing he was slipping away from her. Leaning into him she allowed him to lead her to their room, whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

Kazuma watched the two walk away, eyes barely focusing on their silhouettes as his thoughts drifted to the souls inside the room.

* * *

Sora's curse was a bit of a mystery, and as far as any of the Sohma's knew this was the first they had such a thing happen. In particular, it was her transforming that baffled everyone. When embraced by a non-cursed member of the opposite sex they were supposed to transform into their animal, it was the most complicated and obvious part of being a cursed zodiac. However, Sora did not. She still transformed other times such as getting too cold, being too tired, even getting too hyper but just not when hugged by a normal male. Speculations went on, rumors spread amongst those who knew of the zodiacs but nothing could be proven. Most either figured the curse wasn't given enough time to develop or this was the start of it weakening and starting to break.

All Zodiacs had to meet their god and Sora was no exception. With her mother holding her and her father trailing uncomfortably beside her they entered the God's room.

Akira told his daughter before of the little foxes birth, not that he really needed to for even at such a young age she already knew of the birth of another zodiac. The white-haired male told her stories of the previous foxes, how no two foxes were the same but had similar traits, such as their craftiness and tendency to wander. Many of the cursed foxes loved traveling but always returned, some even proudly bringing home gifts for their god. Curiously Akito asked her father what kind of fox Sora would be like, causing her stumped father to ponder for a moment. Eventually, he told her he wasn't sure, but that he'd like to see the two become good friends. Akira told the little girl something she heard every time she asked of the zodiacs, that Sora like all the other animals held a deep bond to Akito. He reiterated that because she was their god this bond was stronger than anything in this world, that it couldn't be broken no matter what.

This was a private meeting, only Akira, Akito and Sora's parents in the room. Ren, of course, held no interest in such a meeting. Annoyed that such a thing even had to happen. That child was always been put on a pedestal, like a spoiled princess meeting her loyal subjects. Sickening.

Akira picked his child up, holding her so that's he could see the baby in a teal blanket without the new mom having to bend down or kneel. Bright eyes caught the toddler's dark orbs in her own, staring at them with this strange look on her tiny face. It was hard to describe, a look of both mystification and confusion. Suddenly as if something had clicked within her brain, quicker than that of a coin dropping the little girl's eyes began to fill with tears. It wasn't long before a loud wail of a crying baby was heard through the walls of the Honke. This, in turn, caused the little one in Akira's arms to start crying as well, both parents trying desperately to soothe their children.

Through her crying a little arm belonging to Sora desperately reached out towards the dark-haired toddler, fingers wiggling through the air. Confused the parents brought the still crying infant and toddler back together. Once Sora's little hand reached her God's it was almost like she never started crying in the first place, cooing and giggling as her little hand wrapped around the fabric of Akito's shirt. Still sniffling Akito watched the little baby who happily gazed into her own orbs with its blue ones.

Akira was right; the bond these two displayed appeared completely inseparable.

* * *

"Last one, finished earlier than expected too!" Sora exclaimed, placing the brown ox stone right beside the still drying rat stone. The strawberry-blonde teen had woken up extra early, determined to finish her latest little art project before she had to go to class. She wasn't sure why she had chosen the zodiacs to paint on the rocks, her intentions were to practice painting them for art class and before she realized it the little animals had simply appeared on them.

"Aren't you missing two?" The black-haired male sitting at the end of the table peaked over his newspaper, eyeing the rocks curiously. Currently, it was only Shigure and Sora at the table, the eat was either still sleeping, or in the garden.

"I'll put the cat in there when he gets an attitude adjustment." Sora replied, standing up and moving her work into the sun to dry. She didn't hate Kyo. In fact, she had no problem with Kyo other than the fact he was such a dick to her. Ever since they were kids he never liked her, never to the extent of how much he hated Yuki but the distaste was still felt. Sora's guess was that he most likely held a grudge over the fact that she was still invited to the banquets and he wasn't. She couldn't blame him though; if the roles were reversed she'd be angry too.

Checking the time on her phone Sora jumped up. "Shit, It's already Seven!"

Running upstairs two at a time the fox ran to the room she was currently using, grabbing the giant purse she used as a book bag and double checking if she had everything. Satisfied the teen turned to the dark-framed mirror hanging on the wall. The makeup she used was trendy and natural, enough to enhance her natural features. Sora's hair, however, was a completely different story. The strawberry blonde mess of waves that hung just below her breasts annoyed her. No matter what the fox zodiac could do it was always windswept and never sitting correctly like it had a mind of its own. Desperately dragging the brush through it once more she let out a satisfied grunt. "That's gonna have to do."

Sora came back downstairs speeding past the table which the dog of the Zodiac still sat reading. "I'm off! Probably won't be home for dinner so don't wait up!"

Skipping dinner at Shigure's was not something to be missed, either they were fighting over which restaurant to go to or attempting to try their hand in the pigsty of a kitchen. In that case, you definitely didn't want to be around for that, each dish was more yikes than the last and Sora's food was probably the worst. She could admit that because she was a big girl who came to terms with the fact she'd never be skillful in the kitchen.

Shigure watched the short teen run down the path towards the city, late to something as usual. Briefly, the author wondered what it could be, it definitely wasn't class as Yuki wasn't even awake yet. Eyeing the little stone figurines sitting out to dry on the porch Shigure frowned, they all looked wholly too innocent to represent his family. Picking up his tea the dog took a sip. "Far too innocent."


	3. Surviving

Sora had always loved dancing; it made her feel weightless in a world that crushed itself upon her shoulders. Close your eyes, move your body to the music and your problems will vanish from your thoughts. The only thing is once the song ends they come back, rear ending you like a bus into a scooter. This can be solved though, if you never stop dancing then you never have to worry about such a thing happening. That's not humanly possible of course but it didn't stop her from trying, sometimes dancing until her limbs ached, her stomach turned and her head felt like lead. Yes, more often than not she needed to be reminded to take a break. It didn't matter the style; hip hop, jazz or ballet, they all did the trick as long as she liked the song. Sora was never formally trained in any of these; in fact apart from the dance clubs at school she had almost no training. YouTube was a handy little tool; teaching her all types of dances and supplied her with the music so Sora wasn't really in need of a instructor. Foreign music was her favorite, japan played a lot of it and it helped her in her English class. Then there was kpop, a lot harder to understand but the most fun to dance to. And of course Japanese music; the most soulful and heart moving, probably because it was the easiest to understand but it always stirred something inside Sora.

The only thing that could compare to how dancing felt for Sora was drinking. Drinking never really extinguished her thoughts; instead it made her head swim so bad she could never focus on one specific thought for more than 20 seconds. Mixing the two was the best feeling in the world, two halves of one heart put together. There was nothing that compared, except maybe drugs, but with Sora's addictive personality caused this to be a horrible idea.

For this very reason, despite the fact she had class tomorrow was why Sora agreed to go to a nightclub with a couple girls from dance yesterday.

Taking a slug of her water Sora turned to look at the girl who was putting away her dance stuff, complaining about her boyfriend on instagram or something to her friends. The girl who asked Sora was named Yuu, a well off girl from a grade above Sora who spent more time trying to stay popular than on her studies, or at least that's what Sora heard. She was never really one for rumors though; people are easily influenced and will believe anything just to have someone else's flaws to focus on other than worrying about their own. From what little time Sora spent with her Yuu was quite fun, granted it was only 2 times and all were spent drunk. The other girl was named Ayaka, an upperclassman as well and good friends with Yuu. Having only gone to this school since the beginning of this semester Sora didn't know much about Ayaka other than she was tall and was a good dancer.

Taking her uniform out of her bag, along with anything else she might need whilst changing in the washroom Sora heard a familiar voice behind her.

"So, still on for tonight?"

Shit. That's she forgot to do. Sora looked up to see Yuu and the one friend that hadn't left already. "Hell yeah! Sorry I didn't text back dismorning, was running a bit late. Still meeting at Bean?"

Bean was a café a couple roads away from the school which made a convenient place to get ready.

"Dad's out of town so let's go home instead. Meet us at the back gate."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shot after shot, beer to beer…Wait, wasn't there a poem that went like that? Ah, the one they had at funerals, dust to dust or some shit. Sora couldn't help but let out a snort. Her poem would be 10 times better to use at any funeral, after words they could dump beer on the body and party like mad men. Celebrate the life they lived instead of mourning the death that was unavoidable, that's the way she wanted leave this earth at least.

"What'cha snorting about?" Soft lips brushing against the sensitive skin of her ear woke the fiery haired teen from her drunken thoughts, ocean eyes focusing on the clear liquid in front of her in a tiny glass. Grabbing the shot glass the teen downed the liquid courage, turning towards the brown haired college student who had been flirting with her all night. Sora couldn't bring herself to remember his name but he was a looker, the type of guy you'd expect to be an idol instead of flirting with girls in a club on a weekday. Plus he was making alright conversation, paying for her drinks and somehow keeping the potential creeps away.

"Nothing!" She smirked, leaning towards the older male, placing her lips right next to his ear in the same fashion he had done. "Wanna dance again?" Nodding the male lead her away from the bar and under the crowded dance floor, pulling the petite girl close to his body. Moving her body to the beats of the techno music Sora embraced the smell of his potent aftershave, it kept her head from spinning too badly.

It didn't take long before the feeling of a hand scurrying too far up her thighs knocked her out of peaceful bliss. Feeling suddenly very aware of her surroundings the 17 year old pulled away from the male.

"I should really look for my friends! They've been gone a while!"

Squinting through the smokey air Sora tried to sort through the tangled mess which was her mind. Trying to think of where the two girls could possibly be, last time she saw them they had been talking with a couple of this guy's friends.

"I'm sure they're fine, don't worry about them! Come on, let's go get another drink!" The teen wasn't really sure whether this guy purposely ignored her signals or was so drunkenly unaware of his actions but nonetheless she reluctantly let him lead her back to the bar, trying her best not to get knocked around by other partiers or stumble on the way.

Once she was safely back to sitting on the bar stool Sora pulled out her phone: 347 am and 3 missed phone calls from Shigure. When had she missed those? Guilt swirled around her stomach like a whirl pool in the ocean. She really should have at least texted him to let her know she wouldn't be home at all tonight, it would have been the decent thing to do. She had done stupid things like this before, but she always made sure he knew she would be out, always with a good excuse in place. This time she had meant to let him know she'd be sleeping at a friend's house, but it completely slipped her mind with class and getting ready, then once alcohol hit her any chance of that happening became zero.

Sora reminded herself she couldn't think about that right now, instead trying to remember the reason why she had taken her phone out in the first place. It didn't take long before the bartender placing a tequila shot in front of her brought her back to her original mission, finding Yuu and Ayaka and geting her ass out of here before this guy gave her alcohol poisoning or worse, started trying to lead her back to his apartment.

"On the count of 3! " If only the college student beside her realized he didn't need to yell for her to hear him…not that his voice even mattered after the blasting music had already taken it's toll on her sensitive fox ears.

Just gazing at the shot in front of her caused Sora's stomach to wobble. Picking up the tiny glass the auburn haired girl tried not to think about the potent liquid inside, instead downing it the same time as the brunette male beside Sora did his. Hurriedly she stuck the lime in her mouth, sucking on it until she didn't feel like she'd vomit anymore.

Catching the dark eyes beside her Sora realized he was watching her actions, a blush rising to her cheeks. To him she must look so stupid, some naïve girl who's not even able to handle her liquor correctly trying to drink with the big boys. However, he didn't look weirded out at all, instead his brown orbs were lidded with hunger. The teen wide eyed-ingly examined his eyes, not helping but realizing how passionate they were. Despite the color difference Sora was reminded of a familiar doctor's eyes, a blue cosmic gaze that entrapped your own in their sorrowfulness like a spider with a fly. They were the type of eyes that had seen so much pain they could write a story but even if you spent a thousand years staring into those intense orbs you'd never be able to read it.

Blinking once to clear her blurry vision caused the blue eyes that had appeared in her mind to change back to the eyes in front of Sora, realizing they were much closer than they once were. As were his lips, which claimed her own lipstick coated ones without so much as even a warning. Sora let out a surprised squeak, kissing back instinctively. A hand snaked its way around to the small of her back, pulling her closer and almost off the bar stool. His other hand landed on her thigh, giving it a hard squeeze. Parting her lips he sucked the lime from her mouth into his, sitting back up the older male had a cheeky look on his face.

Touching her lips Sora stared at him taken aback. It wasn't her first kiss in the slightest, but it happened so forcefully and so suddenly. It made something inside her swirl, causing a heat which traveled from her core up her spine until it had taken over her whole body. Attempting to process what just happened was futile, she was simply too drunk for this shit. "I can't do this!"

"Can't do what!?" Leaning forward he placed his lips next to her ear. "This?" With that he licked her ear.

Sora put her hands against his chest, pushing him away from her. "Whatever you're thinking, I know what it is and I can't do it! I have to find my friends and go!"

"Fine! Let me text Rei! Him and Shin were with them last right?!" The red head was surprised he gave in so easily but she was glad he did.

"Right!"

"You know you're a smart girl, coming out to have fun but you won't go past your values! And for that I respect you! I threw my values to the curb a long time ago, it's nice to spend time with someone who still has theirs!"

Looking down Sora bit her lip, her having values? This guy definitely got the wrong impression. His phone vibrated causing the girl to look over at the twenty something who was reading the message.

"So, Rei say's one went home with her boyfriend! The other, Ayako or something went home with him."

Unbelievable, they ditched her...what the hell happened to girl code. More importantly all of her school stuff was at Yuu's. Even more importantly all of the buses had stopped a while ago. Yuu was going to call a taxi to head back to her place, for her that kind of money was chump change, but a taxi fare back to Shigure's was a whole days earnings to Sora. She could walk home, though that was dangerous as hell, it wasn't in the safest area and there were so many clubs and bars around here.

As if sensing her worry the male elbowed her forearm. "Come on! I'll call you a car!"

"I don't have the money!" Taking his hand she wobbly, followed him through the crowds and out of the bar, still sorting through her options. She could call Ayame, though that would definitely result in waking the whole house up once they got back and that was not something Sora planned to do. Plus, she didn't want to bother him at 4 am, his shop opened at like 7 or some shit.

Once outside the tall male leaned against the stone wall, dialing a number on his phone. "I never said you had to pay? Did I? Yeah, send a car to Oasis, I'll be outside."

What a weird way to talk to a taxi driver, he didn't even give them an address. "Why? I'm the one who got myself in this mess, why help?" She tilted her head, looking up at the college aged guy with a quizzical stare.

He shrugged. "I said it before, plus you're going to give me your number."

"Who decided that?" Sora's eyebrows raised, this guy was confidence in a glass, borderline arrogance.

"It's the least you can do right?" His stupid cheeky smirk came back, the one he had after he kissed her. This caused Sora to touch her lips subconsciously, eyes lowering to the pavement.

Before long a sleek back car pulled up, one that didn't look like no taxi. Turns out it wasn't a taxi at all, this guy called his personal driver at 4am to take her home. No wonder he was arrogant, he was from money.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sneaking through the dining area was the safest route, it was always the way she went when she needed a quiet door and a mapped out path. Only this time there was a girl sleeping in front of their table, a complete stranger. At first the wobbly girl thought it was Kagura but even through the dark and blurry vision she could see the difference between their facial features and hair length.

"I see you finally decided to come home, lovely to see you're not a rotting corpse on the side of the road." Sora spun so quickly even her red locks had to catch up, circling around herself in fiery faris wheel of hair.

Sora inwardingly cringed at the harsh words carried through the quiet night, instead choosing to focus on the stranger in the kitchen. "Who…"

"Ah yes, the girl, it's a long story which can wait till the morning." Shigure resisted the urge to correct himself through saying it was technically already morning. "I have a feeling even if I did tell the tale you wouldn't remember when you woke up tomorrow."

"Shigure, I'm Sorr.." The fox cautiously followed behind the older male as he retreated to his room.

The dog didn't even bother masking the agitation in his voice as he cut the teen off mid-sentence. "Go to bed Sora." With that he closed the door in her face.

Well, there went sneaking in without any one seeing but that could have gone worse than it did, Shigure definitely wasn't happy with her though.

Turning around the intoxicated teen dragged her exhausted ass to the door which lead up the stairs, making her way to her room. Once inside she slowly peeled of her black cigarette smoke and beer stinking slip dress, going inside her duffle bag for a long tshirt and baggy shorts. Despite living there fulltime for almost 2 years Sora never really unpacked her stuff. It wasn't like she didn't have a closet; she just found it easier to live like this or perhaps because she was simply just used it having moved around so much previously.

As Sora put on her clean clothes a very familiar letter which sat so still on her desk slithered it's way into her cluttered vision, and just staring at that letter reminded her of how flimsy life was, that nothing would ever be permanent. This place wasn't her forever home, it was a place to feel secure and protected but it didn't feel permanent. Many factors floated around her situation. Her aunt could decide she suddenly wanted to honor her incarcerated brother's wishes and take his daughter back to live with her or better yet decide she wasn't paid off enough and want more money. Sora's worth only went so far, but at least the curse protected her in that aspect. Heh, the thing which was constantly fucking you and your family over protecting you, the irony in that caused the teen to let out a snort as she opened her bedroom window.

The cool breeze of the morning air embraced the teen as she gazed into dark sky, just starting to be touched by the morning hues of a beautiful fall sunrise. Her eyes which studied the colors slowly filled with tears, becoming a puddle of green and blue. When did her chest start hurting this bad? Memories of her life with her aunt flashed across her mind. Each carrying more pain than the last, but all reminded her of how lonely she felt, as if not a soul in this world remembered she once existed in this world. At that time it felt as if the only way out was to run away, try her luck as homeless teen in Tokyo, yet she didn't have the guts for even that.

Then just as the sun was currently brightening the world to embrace the morning her world was brightened too, in the form of Shigure. He saw her pain, and saved her, taking her into his home for nothing in return. Sora had always wondered why but never asked and quite frankly the reason didn't matter to her. She really was grateful to him, she just had a horrible way of showing it, a really horrible way. God, no wonder he was pissed. Imagine taking someone into your home, feeding them, caring for them, and protecting them yet they don't even care enough to let you know they weren't going to be home that night so you didn't fucking worry.

Feeling the tears that trailed down her blush covered cheeks Sora grabbed a makeup wipe, smearing the tears in with whatever else was on her face as she removed her makeup.

Sora deserved whatever outcome came from her decision even if the dog had finally decided he had grown tired of her shit and told her to find another place to stay. Granted Sora knew he wouldn't do that, she trusted him much more than that. Out of all the people in her life her older cousin was one of the most dependable ones, he was always the one who ended up drying her tears, lifting her spirits and helping her when everyone else had fallen short. Perhaps maybe that's why she did this kind of shit, selfishly taking advantage of how lenient he was with her.

Crawling into her bed Sora covered her head with the covers, trying to force this heavy feeling out of her heart like she forced her eyes closed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sweet sounds of chirping birds, a bee buzzing around her window screen and the wind rustling her curtains, there was no better sounds to gently lull you out of sleep. However all peacefulness vanished when the sound of torture broke through her relaxation. Not even bothering to open her eyes the hungover teen reached out towards the sound, desperately trying to grab her phone and turn off her alarm. Once rewarded with the sweet sound of bliss Sora hugged her pillow, attempting to drift back into unconsciousness. It was only then she realized she had to pee; bad. Letting out a groan the fox had a moment of seriously debated whether her getting out of her comfy bed to use a cold porcelain toilet was truly worth it. If she was sleeping she wouldn't feel the pain in her bladder right? After minutes of lying there Sora finally willed her ass to get out of bed, grabbing her fluffy robe and padding towards her door and into the bathroom. Being inside already and feeling gross Sora decided to take a shower. A whole hour and one steamy bathroom later the fox emerged out of bathroom clean, her fuzzy robe wrapped securely around her body.

"Hopefully you don't mind sharing with another girl, she is a bit messy." The voice of Shigure caught her ears, causing the teen to wrinkle her brows. That girl was staying here? With Sora? This had to be Shigure's version of a punishment. Sora knew she had no right to be angry but it still struck her heart a bit. Deep down something told her that even if she was home last night she still wouldn't have had a say in the matter, some warning yeah but not a choice.

"Oh, not at all! If she doesn't mind of course, once again you guys really don't have to this!" That cherry, high pitched voice…it was one Sora recognized but couldn't quite match.

"Nonsense, She'll be more than happy to have a housemate. I'll go grab the vacuum."

The fox waited for her older cousin to head back down stairs before she went back to her own room, eyeing Yuki and the brown haired girl cautiously. "What's going on?"

The brunette turned to her and Sora automatically recognized her as a girl from class. Despite being a year older than the rat Sora was held back due to moving schools so often and being just generally behind her studies. She couldn't place the name of this girl, though Sora did remember that she always hung out with the tall blonde and black haired girl.

"Oh my! You're my new roommate? I should have known with you being a Sohma of course!" The girl let out a nervous laugh, bowing in front of multiple times. "I guess it's good we already know eachtoher then. Oh! Hopefully I'm not intruding. Please tell me if I am, I really don't want to be a burden on you!"

If Sora was an anime character she would have had a big cartoon sweatdrop rolling down her forehead right now. Waving her hands in front of herself she attempted to calm the girl in front of her. "Ah no, don't worry, it's all good."

What else was she supposed to say? No?

Gazing around her room she looked at her clothes littering the ground, her small bed in the corner with her duffle bag in front, and her small desk sitting beside her bed. With what little stuff Sora owned she hadn't even taken up more than 30 percent of the room so there was more than enough room for another person's stuff. There was nothing left to do but get used to having a roommate.

Sora eyes roamed back to the desk, more specifically the unopened letter that sat upon it. Shit. Walking into her room Sora quickly grabbed it, throwing it into her top drawer. Glancing cautiously at the other two teens who had went back to doing their own thing, good they hadn't noticed.

A crash echoed from above, in dropping a guy with hair a little lighter than hers. "Yo! Are you ready for a beating rat boy?!"

With his abrupt entrance wood and dust came crashing in as well, leaving a whole ass human sized hole in the ceiling. Sora couldn't help but stand staring at it, mouth agape. Ah lovely, as if this day could get any worse.

It very well proved it could when the brunette tried to break Kyo and Yuki up, instead finding a way to bump into Kyo and turning him into his cat form. Then in the midst of freaking out over a guy turning into an animal she somehow proceeded to bump into both Yuki and Shigure, changing them as well. Well Sora wouldn't have to get used to this roommate situation after all, this girl definitely wasn't going to last here.

"What do I do they're all animals, I changed them into animals! Oh mom, what have I done!?" Tilting her head Sora watched the poor girl who looked as if she was going to either pull all her hair out or have a heart attack, maybe both.

The fox could play this 2 ways, either pretend to freak out with her and have some fun or tell her the truth and let these three take care of the aftermath. Hungover or not it wasn't like Sora to miss out on a practical joke.

Placing her hands on her cheeks the older teen pretended to be shocked. "Holy crap! What have you done!? You're right we gotta take them to a doctor, they might die!" She'd take her Oscar in the form of cash please and thank you.

Perhaps her performance may have been a bit too good because when the doorbell rang the taller teen picked up all 3 animals and running towards the door, probably in hopes that whoever rang was more helpful than Sora was being.

"Shit! Wait!" Running behind the brown haired girl as fast as her tired legs would take her Sora tried her best not to trip, especially going back down stairs. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs the world was spinning and her head felt as if it was made of 3 different types of lead.

"Stop! It was.." Pant. "Just a damn.. " Pant. "Joke… " Gasp. "This is …normal.." The words came out much more quiet than she would have preferred, clutching the wall to keep from falling over. All of the movement caused Sora's stomach to turn and her hangover came back in full force. Rushing down the hallway she just made it to the downstairs bathroom, emptying the alcohol she had consumed last night into the toilet.

By the time Sora came back out of the bathroom all three of the zodiacs had changed back into humans, clothes on and everything. Yuki and Kyo were fighting as usual and the once frantic girl was calm, though with a cut in her forehead and being patched up by Shigure. Why did she seem so calm now? Did they use a BS excuse? OR did they tell her, a complete outsider the truth? Frowning Sora watched the scene from the hallway, sort of feeling like the outsider herself. Turning, the fox trudged slowly back upstairs to change out of her robe and into some normal clothes, s settling on a black tank top and grey sweat pants .Looking around the room Sora cringed at the mess. After the mishap all she wanted to was go back to sleep and with the dust and wood on her bed she couldn't even do that. Grabbing her comforter and sheets the fox shook the wood, dirt and dust onto the floor before throwing them in a ball back on her bed. A knock on her door startled the teen, a calm voice echoing from outside her room. "Sora, are you decent?"

Decent was one way to put it. "Ah yeah, you're fine, just come in."

"Yuki and Tohru are off to class, if you're not planning to go with them then sleep in my room, Kyo needs to fix that crater he put in the ceiling." The dog looked up at the hole in his roof, a thin frown framing his lips.

Tohru! That was her name, now if only she could remember that when she got home.

"Thanks..Is Tohru still staying here? After ..you know?" Talking to Shigure usually came so easily, they could chat about a can of soda for hours simply because it was in front of them but after last night Sora tasted each word over and over before saying it out loud.

"Depends on what Akito says." Akito..that name alone caused Sora's heart to feel like it had been struck by lightning, leaving a deep festering wound behind.

"Why? Do you not want her to stay? Or is it that you would have preferred a choice, or maybe even a warning? A phone call or text message perhaps?"

Sora's wide teal eyes looked up, gazing at the male who towered over her. His grey orbs had darkened significantly, a twisted expression painting his demeanor. For all Shigure's joking, protective, perverted and big brotherly playfulness there was a hidden devil, a side to him that held manipulation and brutality. Sora had seen it used before on others, but rarely on her and now she's been on the receiving end of it twice in 24 hours. Just catching the look on his face mapped out the meaning behind his words.

"No..It's not that. I was just wondering." Voice wavering she continued. " I get it you know; I fucked up, you've taken me in and I couldn't even let you know I wouldn't be home. I admit it, I'm an ungrateful sack of crap. Happy? I feel like shit for it already so you don't have to do your thing and throw it in my face cause I already did it to myself. If having her move in here is the consequence of that then I'll take it, it's better than the other options. " With her head down the fox focused on picking little bits of dirt off her sheets, actively avoiding his ruthless stare. She felt the tears rolling down her face but she didn't bother wiping them away, not wanting him to notice that their interaction had caused her cry. Awe man, why was she such a wussy.

Yukata covered arms wrapped around her shoulders as Shigure pulled her into his chest, head resting on her own. "No, my dear. You don't understand it at all but one day you will. Stop crying, it's alright. "

Trying to stop only made her crying become worse, forming actual sobs. "Are you gonna kick me out?"

"What? Of course not." He let out a exhausted sigh. "I just want to see you're safe, you may not know it but I'm aware of the things you do, this old man was young once too. Going out and having fun isn't the issue, it's thinking you're untouchable, that you don't have to take precautions or not be aware of your surroundings. There's so many people that want to hurt silly young girls like you, not telling anyone where you're going, when you'll be home or even that you won't be home at all makes you the perfect victim."

Having someone generally worry about her making it home safely was new to her. Sora was always so used to being by herself, taking care of her own meals, her own money, her own clothes and generally just surviving on her own. She was used to entering and having no one greet her when she came home, whether she lived with her aunt or in her old man's place. For her those places were simply a roof over her head, a place that made surviving without being cold or wet possible.

"I'm sorry.." As you'd expect crying made trying to form sentences almost impossible, little whimpers taking over when it should have been words. "I..forgot….being...alone" He probably had no idea what the hell she was trying to say, which frustrated her and caused her to cry harder.

"I know, I know, it'll get easier. Life is like dancing, you have to experience falling to achieve that twirl thing you're so good at." Letting her go Shigure grabbed a tissue off her desk, dabbing at her tears gently.

Sora snorted through the tears, a hiccup following. "You mean ..a Piro" Hiccup "Uette? I suck at those." "Oh? But you make them look so pretty." Smiling down at her the tall male continued. "Now, that you're all cried out what would you like to do? You could go to class, though at this time you'd be late or you can get some rest." Simply mentioning the possibility of sleep reminded Sora of how exhausted she felt, 4 hours sleep will do that to ya . "Rest, duh. " Making their way down stairs Shigure headed to the front door. "Alright, get some sleep and Kyo! Take care of the place well I'm gone." The moment her head hit the pillow Sora was out like a light.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The house sat nearly empty for hours, and apart from the occasional swears from Kyo as he attempted to patch up the hole he had caused it was almost completely quiet as well. This allowed for the fox to get a peaceful 8 hours of sleep without so much as batting an eyelash open once. Eventually the day passed by and everyone came home one by one. First was Yuki and Tohru, then Shigure who joyfully brought back the news of Tohru being allowed to stay, memory intact.

The red head sat chugging water, back leaning against the wall as Shigure shared the terms. She wasn't surprised, when the dog set his mind on something there rarely was a soul who could stop him, especially if such a thing aggravated the head of the family. And for some reason, the dog had made his mind up about Tohru staying with them. But it was weird for their god to accept so easily, enough for even Yuki to mention it. Sora didn't really think too long about it though, heading back up to her room to check on Kyo's handy work.

He had indeed fixed the ceiling, and cleared away the dust and pieces of wood as well. Sora had to admit she was both impressed and pleasantly surprised. Tohru's bags sat on the opposite end of the room, and similar to the strawberry blonde teen she carried very little stuff. It was so little stuff it made Sora wonder where she came from and what lead her to staying here. Did she have a home before? Did she run away from abusive parents? Where was the rest of her stuff? Sora made a mental note to ask the younger girl her story when she had the chance.

For now Sora decided the right thing to do was clean the rest of the room up, maybe making the dingy appearance a bit more welcoming to the new comer. Turning on a playlist full of English pop she got to work, picking up her dirty clothes, making her small bed, wiping down her mirror, tidying her desk and organizing the drawers. Once finished Sora looked around the space, her room hadn't looked this clean since she moved in, someone ought to pat her damn back. If newbie didn't like this than she can sleep in the hallway for all Sora cared. Speaking of sleeping, Sora wondered what her plan for a bed was.

Coming back down the stairs all plans to ask Tohru her questions left her mind and flew through the window when she finally found the brunette. Sora stopped dead in the entrance way of the kitchen, her chin hitting the floor. "Holy shit**…"**

Aqua eyes shot around the room. This girl who had barely just moved in was cleaning their kitchen, the infamous dungeon of death. She had lived here less than a day and already made a huge change for the better. "I don't think I've even seen the kitchen floor. Dude you're a miracle worker!"

Tohru turned to the red haired girl, a surprised look of her own on her face. "Oh no not at all! It was nothing really, besides it's the least I can do for being able to stay here."

Moving forward, the fox grabbed the girl's soft hands, staring straight into her brown orbs. "I think I'm in love with you…"

"Huh.." Poor Tohru was at a loss of words, a confused look painting her features.

Throwing her head back in a laugh, Sora let go of her hands. "Your face! Oh jeez, I'm just kidding…but seriously, this is actually amazing. Want some help?"

The next couple hours flew by, Tohru had done most of the hard work so the time was basically just spent chatting, and joking around. The fox told funny stories of Kyo and Yuki, a lot of them made up, some she heard from the snake and the dog, and some of the rare times she was there to witness it herself. She also learned quite a bit about Tohru and how she came into this situation. Sora related to some of her struggles, even admiring the younger girl. For all the stuff she's been through she always looked so joyful, like she wasn't aware of her own hardships.

Tohru ended up cooking, and it was actually wonderful. A clean kitchen and great homemade food that they all sat around eating together, with Kyo being a sour puss of course. This was so weird, but it was a good weird, the type of weird Sora could get used to around here.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

-Living doesn't mean going day to day trying to simply survive but to experience the joys of surviving with the people you cherish.-

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

AN: Thank you for reading! and those that did follow and favorite, thank you! It means so much that people actually like my thought scribbles. Shoutout to animefairy299 who actually made artwork of Sora! Please check out her Tumblr and Deviantart!

Tumblr (Anim-Nee-Chan Randomness)

DeviantART (Yui-Yukio-chan)


End file.
